Bible

[plugger]

Hey there, well we all made it to Saturday....WAAAHHOOO!!!! I was reading in Matthew and when I got over in chap. 7 I got hung up, well let me say stalled, this really stuck in my mind and I have been visiting many different reference books since...So just maybe for discussion or your something to kick your brain in gear this weekend, allow me....

I Never Knew You
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

I could be wrong but I think every time I have heard this used in teaching classes or sermons it is tied into works...and I suppose rightfully so....but I wonder if maybe folks get to tied up on works, then do the works assuming they are working their way into heaven---a very easy trap to fall into.....but the part that I got hung up on and I got hung up because I remembered that over in John chap 6 when Jesus was asked---what shall we do that we may work the works of God----Jesus answered with---"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent"......Then else where Jesus taught that after he went to His Father that He would send the Helper (Holy Spirit) to walk along beside of us. Let us put works on the back shelf for a moment---if we truly believe then the works that we do are Holy Spirit inspired, they are not works that we do on our own.....When I do works on my own, pride steps in and God is pushed out----we are saved by God's grace unto good works. For me it would be difficult to be a Pastor and not allow pride to step in, I would have great difficult if I were a Choir director and not let pride step in-----One of the things that brought me back to Christ was this very thing---I was at one time running my 3 little business and doing transportation work for a major company, not bad for a high school education, money was not problem, in 1978 I purchased a new pickup, new Cadillac , 3 bedroom home on the river, I mean I was in tall cotton and "I" gave a "lot" of $$$$$$ to the church and a lot of $$$$ through my S.S. Class----please notice I said "I DID"----I did all the works, my pride stepped in and I put God outside.....Pride has it consequences----I fell out of a truck, broke everything, and I mean everything in my right wrist, the doctors thought I would lose use of my right hand, today it is in very good shape, we almost lost everything, thanks to my wife for being able to stretch a dollar 10 ways from Sunday----then one day I came back to Christ, do I have the $$$$ I had back then, "NO"---but I have more now than then, including my bank account, am I rich?--"NO" but somehow I am better off....another story for another time. ---- I suppose the important thing is for us to learn to depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead us and not us lead ourselves

God Bless----Have a great weekend